Catholic groups for and against Kerry clash

The president of grassroots organization “Catholics For Kerry 04,” said the Republicans are using Catholic organizations as “vehicles” to discredit John Kerry as a presidential candidate and to divide the Catholic laity.

Robert McFadden accuses two Catholic organizations – Catholic Answers and The Catholic League – of being “the vehicles that the RNC’s Catholic Outreach is using to extend its tentacles of division ever further into the Catholic laity.”

The Republicans’ Catholic Outreach, he says, “has targeted Catholic voters and has infiltrated parishes across the nation.”

Catholic Answers, a San Diego-based lay apostolate whose primary mission is defending Catholic teaching, has recently released a "Voter's Guide." The guide instructs Catholics not to vote for any candidate who supports abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem-cell research, human cloning, and same-sex marriage.

The Catholic League’s mission is to defend the right of Catholics to participate in public life, without suffering defamation or discrimination.

“We find this to be extremely suspect,” said the 4th Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus. “Since Jan.1, 2004, the Neo-Conservative voice of the Catholic League, William Donohue, has attacked his fellow Catholic, Senator John Kerry, over 20 times with his notorious and often venomous press releases,” he said.

“Donohue’s mission to disgrace and defame Senator Kerry is quite evident,” says McFadden, who adds that Donohue’s actions are “a direct contradiction of what his organizations’ own mission statement expresses.”

“Rather, his message is blatantly inline with that of the Bush Campaign and the RNC,” says McFadden.

In the meantime, a rival group, “Catholics Against Kerry,” is launching a major ad campaign, highlighting Senator John Kerry's positions against Catholic teaching. The ad is aimed at Pennsylvania, an important swing state, whose Catholic population is one-third.

The ad highlights Kerry’s support for abortion and same-sex marriage, his opposition to the ban on partial-birth abortions, and how he has staged a series of photo-ops on Church grounds “intended to give the false impression that he supports Catholic values,” says a press release

“The Communist party USA, godlessamericans.org, the abortion industry - all endorse Kerry. Not George Bush. Who do you endorse?” says the ad.